Tension release

Learn to easily release physical tension and (re)find your relaxed balance

Do you find that you are often very tense?
Do you ever feel stiffness in your neck, shoulders or other parts of your body?
Do you frequently have headaches, backaches or stomach aches?
Do you suspect that you have unnecessary muscle tension in your body?
Would you like to learn how to release the tension in your body with the help of some simple physical exercises?
Are you longing to sleep better, feel less agitated, have a calmer nervous system and more internal balance?

I can assist you in releasing tension.

We will work together using a method to release unnecessary tension from your muscles. We begin with a series of simple physical exercises, after which we allow your body the space to let go of what no longer serves you. We will create a safe space, where your body takes the lead. We work in a calm manner, adjusting the intensity to your body, your physical condition and any limitations you may have.

This method is somewhat different from the other forms of coaching I offer. We will not talk a lot, but will mainly work on a physical level. I will guide you to get acquainted with this method, so that you can use it yourself at home. This way you can help your body and yourself at any given moment, without relying on me.

Scroll down for a detailed explanation of this method.

Everything is welcome!

This method is suitable if you are not keen on ‘talk therapy’ and prefer to work with your body. In that case, you don’t book an intake session first, but directly book a regular session to start working together in a more physical way. You may choose to do this from the comfort of your own home, by video calling. But you are also welcome in my space in Utrecht.

Another option is to combine the regular coaching that I offer with this method. In that case, we will first do an intake session and make a plan together of how we will make use of the series of sessions. We agree on how to alternate the coaching sessions and the physical sessions. This can also take place either online or in Utrecht, it is up to you.

sessions & how I work

“Everything starts with desire”

is my conviction

You long to feel more comfortable in your body. To experience less pain, to sleep better, to feel less agitated and more relaxed. This method is extremely effective in helping your body release tension and stress.

I myself have been using this method for years now. I have noticed just how beneficial it is for me. At an increasingly deeper level, my whole body and my nervous system settle down. As a result I feel calmer and more grounded. I feel more solid, sleep more soundly and truly feel more comfortable in my own skin.

my story

How this method works

We all experience physical tension. We all build up this muscle tension for a variety of reasons. It can be the result of a difficult physical or psychological experience, upon which our body tries to adjust itself as well as possible. Think of it as a protection mechanism. Usually such an adjustment is only temporary. However, in the case of more prolonged levels of stress or anxiety, or after a traumatic event, our body may create patterns of tension that we no longer consciously notice, although they do affect our posture and our well-being. We are then dealing with chronic tension. And this can unconsciously have a significant impact on how we really feel.

It is very important to release chronic tension patterns after a stressful event has passed. This is how you can prevent physical pain from building up. Our body is equipped with an ingenious nervous system that can literally shake off the deep muscle tension that built up after such an event. This will help your body to return to its natural state of relaxation.

Chances are you have never heard of this inner vibrational mechanism that we all have in our bodies. It may even sound rather strange to you. We tend to approach everything mentally, and therefore we have unconsciously learned to suppress this perfectly natural mechanism. We are not even aware of it. The consequence is that our body no longer has the ability to lower the muscle tension in the body automatically.

To return to our naturally relaxed state, you can still activate this mechanism of neurogenic vibration. You can learn to awaken it, with very little effort, through a series of simple physical exercises. Then you allow your body to rest and it will release tension automatically, by itself. Your muscle tension then drops. Your nervous system settles down. And you feel more relaxed altogether.

This is basically a self-help method. I will guide you through this method, with the main objective of teaching you to stay within your boundaries when releasing tension. If the release happens too quickly, it might cause more internal unrest. It is important that you keep feeling comfortable. Together we make sure that you go through the exercises without experiencing any physical pain, and that you are able to relax and unwind. At all times you can take a break or stop. I will help you with that too. Once you have mastered the basic techniques, you can continue the practice at home. You have then activated the wonderful self-healing capacity of your own body. Enjoy!

Curious?

Would you like to find out if I am the right person to guide you?

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Testimonials

What clients say about Marjolein

Wendy (35), Netherlands

"I would describe Marjolein as: present, aware, honest, patient, insightful. I enjoyed the sessions. There was a really welcoming vibe. I always felt that I could talk about what was presently bothering me, but we were also able to pin it back to where it came from.

Most valuable to me was when she mirrored me and allowed me to see my thoughts through her. That really opened my eyes to the things I always say but was unaware of. So I gained a lot of awareness throughout our sessions. And was able to make changes in my life accordingly.

Combining online sessions with in-person sessions worked really well for me. This option allowed me to fit it into my busy schedule, since I live a bit far from her.

I want to especially thank Marjolein for thinking of my background, being a black woman from an African country. Together we discussed where I come from and what society raised me. This was really great because she was able to understand where my trauma stems from. So we took that knowledge and incorporated it into our sessions."

Willemijn (36), Netherlands

"Marjolein has a very welcoming personality that provides a very safe space. Next to that she provided very helpful feedback and exercises. I really loved the sessions together!

She connects the dots very easily: statements that I make to feelings I expressed and vice versa. She is able to very clearly extract the core of what I’m trying to explain. Marjolein keeps the story line of each session clear and helps me not to divert too much from the subject that we are discussing. That helps a lot with focus and clarification on my part as well. I gained many insights during our sessions.

What I enjoyed is that we set goals together on what (and not) to talk about during the session. Also valuable was starting each session with a summary of what we had talked about previously. This kept us on track, and led to results."

Susan (59), United Kingdom

“Marjolein is respectful, collaborative, calming and supportive. She’s very good at being able to guide me into a safe space, to move out of my cognitive into a more feeling, emotional body place. I find her voice pace and intonation very soothing. And Marjolein’s style of communication during the session is absolutely right, setting the tone – calm, measured without being overly ‘therapist’! We worked online, and it may take some time to communicatie emotions over Zoom, but the screen did not seem like a barrier.

I feel heard by Marjolein. And also sometimes challenged without any defensive response – which would usually be an unconscious reaction from me. I experienced dropping into a trusting place quite quickly. The sessions are very useful, enjoyable and satisfying. I have very much benefitted from working with her and I would definitely recommend her coaching to others as she has a natural skill.”

Rob (58), The Netherlands

"I experienced Marjolein as a coach who really observed me, saw my whole being and was able to work with this. I felt completely seen and heard. She very pleasantly took charge during the sessions and made sure that my story that was in my head could be narrated with my body and my heart. That was especially beneficial at times when my emotions were running high and I was less able to think clearly.

Marjolein invited me to use the entire coaching room and to put my body in motion. I found that to be very nice because my body knows what is going on much more quickly than my mind does. I felt her engagement with my story. I noticed how her questions gave me increasingly deeper insight into what was going on within me. She uses different methods to achieve this. For me, visualising my feelings helped a lot. It allowed me to make better contact with them. Not only during the sessions, but also afterwards. I could look at them and this helped me enormously to achieve significant progress regarding my issue."

Lena (57), Denmark

"I appreciate Marjolein’s calm approach, it feels very good and safe. She is great at noticing and observing what is important to me, and the fact that she reflects back along the way makes me feel both seen and heard.

The chemistry between us is really good. There’s a relaxed atmosphere and it’s wonderfully liberating to be able to laugh along the way. Marjolein is so adept at summarizing and keeping the conversation on track. That’s a great balance. Also, her ability to visualize is a great help to me as it forms images that can help me maintain important insights. I feel helped well throughout our sessions."

Bob (36), The Netherlands

"Marjolein created space and safety during our sessions. During our conversations, I was given the opportunity to look for answers and solutions that I felt were close to me, but which I would not have been able to reach without Marjolein's attentive feedback.

In addition, I received excellent and helpful exercises to not only engage cognitively, but also to place more emphasis on the physical aspects."

Caja (48), The Netherlands

“Marjolein is very observant. She uses all her senses, notices changes in my body language and my speech and provides feedback or intervenes when necessary, to make me more aware of myself. I feel safe showing my feelings, since she is able to help me prevent getting overwhelmed. She always gives me time to process what’s happening. And she helps me to stay connected to my body instead of getting lost in my head.

I’m learning how to slow down, give space to my emotions, and to process everything that comes up in a grounded way. I like the suggestions and tools Marjolein provides for me to practice and to continue my thought process in between sessions. That’s very valuable and helpful. The online format works surprisingly well.

Overall, Marjolein communicates clearly, gives structure to our conversations, is empathetic, professional and makes me feel very much at ease. I feel safe in the ‘coaching hands’ of Marjolein. I feel that everything that will or will not happen is welcome.”